Traction-engine



No. 626,666. Patented lune I3, |899.

J. M. CHAPPEL. TRAGTIDN ENGINE.

Patented lune I3, |899.

.1. M. cHAPPEL. TRACTION ENGINE.

(Application led June 29, 1898.)

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V :EEE/E- Patented June I3, |899. J. M. CHAPPEL. f

TBACTIN ENGINE.

(Application Bled June 29, 1698.1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

JOHN M. CHAPPEL, OF ENNIS, TEXAS.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 626,666, dated J une 13,1899.

Application led June 29, 1898. Serial No. 684,743. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. CHAPPEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ennis, in the county of Ellis and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Traction-Engine,of which the following is aspecification.

My invent-ion relates to traction-engines, and has forits object toprovide a simple, compact, and efficient construction and arrangement ofparts adapted for traction purposes or for driving machinery, such asthreshers.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a gearless engine ofthe class described or one wherein the use of intermeshing gears forcommunicating motion from one part to another is avoided.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of an engine constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing in elevation the valve mechanism.Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the clutch-operatingmechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of one of theclutches. Fig. 6 is a partial longitudinal section showing the valvemechanism and connections. Fig. 7 is a detail view in perspective of aclutch member, showing a lever connection between the hub thereof andthe piston-rod.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a boiler, which may be of any approved construction,supported at its rear end by a frame having side beams 2 and a rear axleor driving-shaft 3 and at its front end by a front or steering axle 4,having steering-wheels 5. The side frame-bars are extended rearwardlybeyond the boiler to support a platform 6, and loosely mounted upon therear axle or driving-shaft are drivingwheels 7.

8 represents the driving-cylinders, in which operate pistons 9, of whichthe stems 10 are connected to the cross-heads 11, tted for reciprocatorymovement upon guides 12, the

rear ends of said guides being supported by brackets 11a, projectinglaterally from the body of the engine. Also connected with thecross-heads are pitmen 13 for communicating motion to the crank-arms 14on a transverselydisposed crank-shaft 15, said crank-shaft serving tooperate the valve mechanism,which includes rocker-arms 16 andeccentric-rods 17 and 18. The upper arms of the rockers are connectedwith valve-stems 19, and upon the other arms thereof are mountedcompensating levers 20, adapted for sliding adjustment, saideccentric-rods 17 and 18 being pivotally connected to the compensatinglevers,l adjacent to the opposite ends thereof. The adj ustment ofthesecompensating levers upon the rockers is accomplished by means of arock-shaft 21, having arms 22, connected by links 23 with thecompensating levers, an operating-arm 24, extending upwardly from therock-shaft, and a connecting-rod 25, extending to a hand-lever 26,mounted near the rear of the engine and within reach of an operatoroccupying the platform or deck. This handlever may be secured at thedesired adjustment by any suitable means, such as a pawl 27 and atoothed segment 28.

From the arms of the crank-shaft motion is communicated to crank-arms 29on the driving axle or shaft by means of connecting-rods 30, wherebysaid shaft rotates continuously during the operation of the drivingmechanism. When it is desired to connect either or both driving-Wheelswith the driving-shaft, one or the other, or both, of a pair of clutcheslocated, respectively, in operative relation with said driving-wheelsshould be operated. The

construction of clutch which I have illustrated in the drawings includesoppositely-located shoes 31, connected by yielding thrust-rods 32 with acollar 33, which is mounted for axial sliding movement upon the axle ordrivingshaft and is keyed thereon to' prevent independent rotarymovement and enable the shaft to communicate motion to the collar andthence to the clutch-shoes'. The clutchshoes are yieldingly held out ofcontact with the inner surface of the driving-wheel rim by the springtendency of the thrust-rods, but are adapted to be forced into snugfrictional contact therewith when the collar is moved IOO outwardly fromthe shaft or toward the plane of the driving-wheel. The means employedfor operating these clutch-collars is such as to enable me to thrusteither or both clutches into operation in order to facilitate thecontrol of the engine, as hereinafter fully explained. The mechanismdisclosed for accomplishing this movement of the collars includes aclutch-operating cylinder 34, having independent piston compartments orchambers 35, in which operate pistons 36, connected by piston-rods 37with rings 38, mounted upon the clutch-collars. In connection with eachcompartment or piston-chamber of the cylinder are two conductors 39 39and 40 40a, and each pair of conductors is controlled "by a valve 4l 42to enable the operator to discharge live steam from the boiler intoeither. pistonchamber at either side of the piston located therein, saidvalves also controlling exhaustports 39b 40", whereby when steam isadmitted to a piston-chamber through one of the pairs of conductorscontrolled thereby the companion exhaust-port is opened to allow theescape of fluid in front of the piston. Thus independent means areprovided for controlling the movement of the pistons in the two chambersof the cylinder, and therefore in turning the engine one of the clutchesmay be engaged with the coperating drivingwheel to communicate motionfrom the driving-shaft to said wheel, while the other is allowed toremain loose, and thus atrest. This enables me to make abrupt turns andavoids a circuit of large diameter, which is necessary With the ordinaryforms of traction-engine steering-gears now in common use. Furthermore,it will be seen that when one drivingwheel is clutched to thedriving-shaft the entire power of the two driving-cylinders,communicated thereto through a common crankshaft, is applied to saidWheel, whereby the same power is utilized in turning as in driving theengine in a straight path.

Any suitable form of steering connections may be employed, such as asteering lever or arm 43,connected to a worm-shaft 44,carryin g a worm45, which meshes with a Worm-gear 4G on a drum 47, flexible connections48, consisting of cables or chains, extending from said drum (and woundthereon in opposite directions) to the steering-axle.

An important advantage of the construction above described resides inthe fact that as either dri vin g-wheel may be connected with thedriving-mechanism while the other driving-wheel is allowed to remain atrest abrupt turns may be made with facility and under the completecontrol of the operator.

Furthermore, when it is desired to utilize the engine for stationarydriving purposes, as in operating a thresher or other machine, theconnecting-rods between the crank-shaft and the driving-shaft may beremoved, and corresponding connecting-rods 49 may be employed to connectsaid crank-shaft with an auxiliary drivin g-shaft 50, mounted in aconvenient position upon the body of the engine, said auxiliaryconnecting-rods being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l.

A further advantage of the construction described resides in the factthat the driving mechanism is compactly arranged and is devoid oftoothed gearing or analogous powerabsorbing devices which-by increasingthe friction detract materially from the effective power of the engine,and also in the fact that the valve mechanism is such as to enable theoperator standing upon the platform or deck to efciently control thelead of the valves, and thus by suiting the supply of steam to the loadeconomize in the use of the motive agent, and hence of the fuel.

Various changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a traction engine,the combination with a crank-shaft and means for imparting rotary motionthereto, of valve mechanism including an intermediately-fulcrumedrocking lever, a compensating lever mounted for sliding movement upon apivot at the extremity of one arm of the rocking lever,eccentric rods,actuated by eccentrics on said crankshaft, connected with the arms ofthe compensating lever at opposite sides of its fulcrum, arock-shaftlhaving a crank-arm connected by a link with the compensating lever, andmeans including a hand-lever for communicatin g motion to therock-shaft, substantially as specified.

2. In a traction engine, the combination with a crank-shaft, and meansfor communieating rotary motion thereto, of a drivingaxle havingcrank-arms, connecting-rods between said crank-arms and correspondingarms on the crank-shaft, driving-wheels, and clutch mechanism forconnecting the drivingwheels with the driving-shaft, substantially asspecified.

3. In a traction engine, the combination with a crank-shaft and meansfor communicatin g rotary motion thereto, of main and auxiliarydriving-shafts having crank-arms, driving-wheels loosely mounted uponthe main driving-shaft, connecting-rods for communieating motion fromthe crank-shaft to one of said drivingshafts, and clutch mechanism forlocking the driving-wheels to the main driving-shaft, substantially asspecified.

4. In a traction engine, the combination with a crank-shaft and meansfor communicat-in g rotary motion thereto, a driving-shaft havingcrank-arms, connecting-rods between said crank-arms and the crank-shaft,drivingwheels loosely mounted upon the drivingshaft, and independentclutch mechanisms for locking the driving-wheels to the drivingshaft,substantially as specified.

5. In a traction engine, the combination IOO IOS

IIO

and yielding thrust rods connecting each clutch-shoe with theclutch-collar, a' clutchcylinder having independent piston -chambers,and pistons operatively connected respectively with the clutch-collars,and means for actuating either of said pistons, substantially asspecified.

7. In a traction engine, the combination with a driving-shaft and meansfor communicating rotary motion thereto, of driving- Wheels mounted uponthe driving-shaft, and

a clutch in connection with each driving- Wheel, the same havingdiametrically opposite clutch-shoes for contact with the inner surfaceof the coperatin g driving-wheel rim, a clutch-collar mounted for axialmovement upon the driving-shaft and keyed thereto, and yieldingthrust-rods connecting each clutchshoe with the collar and adapted toseparate -the clutch-'shoes for contact with the wheelrim when theclutch-collar is moved toward the plane of the Wheel, substantially asspecified.

S. In a traction -engine, the combination with a driving-shaft and meansfor communicating rotary motion thereto, of driving- Wheels looselymounted upon the drivingshaft, clutch-collars mounted for axial movementupon the driving-shaft,separable clutchshoes connected with eachclutch-collar and adapted to be spread into contact with the innerperiphery of one of the driving-Wheels, a clutch-cylinder havingindependent pistonchambers, pistons operating in said chambers andhaving their rods connected respectively with said clutch-collars, andpairs of conductors in communication with the piston-chambers of thecylinder at opposite ends, each pair of conductors having acontrolling-valve arranged in operative relation With a feedport and anexhaust-port, and reversible to introduce motive fluid into eitherpistonchamber at either side of the plane of the piston located therein,substantially as specified. In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own I have hereto aiXed my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN M. CHAPPEL.

Witnesses: Y

JAS. M. WALKER, O. L. BACKLOUPE.

